Forever is a Long Time
by QuickestSecret
Summary: Quick one-shot, grown-up Gideon and Mabel.


**I saw a Gravity Falls PMV: I Wouldn't Mind. This one-shot is kind of based on that video. I absolutely loved it, and I now have the song stuck in my head.**

 **Credits go to TanoSan96 for the amazing video, and to Alex Hirsch for the amazing series.**

 **As always, please review, hugs!**

* * *

 _On top of the factory, he confessed. For once, he had no ulterior motives. He shed everything, hoping for her to see the real him. Promising only one date, she said yes, and he thought his heart might burst from sheer joy._

 _The second date. Hoping to make the jump, he took her out on a boat ride out on a secluded lake._

 _The fireworks went according to schedule, spelling out her name, the name he couldn't resist saying over and over in his dreams. But she seemed less than thrilled. Quite the opposite._

 _Their picture was in the news the next day. He was actually a little hurt. Journalists couldn't leave anything alone. But he put on a brave face, acting like it was no big deal. She, on the other hand, was extremely uncomfortable._

 _And then she dumped him. In agony, he thought his heart would implode. She was the only girl he had ever loved, really loved. Worse, she had her twin brother break them up, not even bothering to face him herself. Rage clouded his senses, and he called the boy to his father's factory. Accidentally, he let slip that he knew the town's secrets. He never meant to do that. And then she came in and interrupted. He thought it was the only time he ever felt anything remotely like anger toward her. She promised they could still be friends, and he let his guard down. Suddenly, his bolo tie was gone, and her brother was free. He blindly tackled him, both crashing out of the window. They plummeted. But he felt something catch him, seconds before he hit the dirt. Looking up, he saw her._

 _Framed by the moon, an unearthly blue aura surrounding, he thought she never looked more beautiful. Floating herself down gently, she let both of them drop the few inches to the ground. Then she threw the magical object against a rock, shattering it. That day, he vowed revenge on all of them: the old man, the idiot brother and, if it came to it, the girl herself._

 _Finally, he had the Mystery Shack. He had both—journals? JOURNAL 3? THERE WAS A THIRD?!_

 _He ran for his weapon—a giant robot in the shape of him. The hillbilly powered it up, and he was off. He chased down the bus, cornering the girl and her brother. He captured them, but after learning the boy had no trace of the first journal, he tossed him aside._

 _How he had underestimated the bond of twins._

 _Next he knew, he was battling the brother again. It seemed as though the older boy was winning, but they had both forgotten a crucial detail—the robot and he were connected._

 _He really thought he would die that day. The impact of the robot hitting solid earth shocked and terrified him. The explosion was worse._

 _The old man rolled up soon after and exposed him for the fraud he was. Scared and emotionally drained, he failed to defend himself and was carted away to jail._

 _A lifetime later, Weirdmaggedeon. Out of prison, free at last, along with his minions. To his delight, he was appointed sheriff, in charge of watching over the girl's prison. He finally had her. She was his. He was hers. Nothing could get in their way._

 _Until he learned her brother and the teen cashier were still alive and free. He surrounded them, planning on turning them in. But the teen cashier was more capable than he realized. She stole the key, snapping the string around his neck, then hijacked a car and drove off._

 _A wild car chase. He thought he had lost her. But in the end, he caught up. They had added another to their little rebellion: the fat handyman._

 _He called the eye-bats. It was almost over. He had won. They were beaten and bloody, unable to even crawl._

 _And then the brother spoke to him._

 _He made him realize that revenge had clouded his judgment. In a real relationship, love had to be equal, not one-sided, certainly not forced and tainted by anger. Taking a tattered piece of paper out of his shock-white hair, he gazed at that news picture. He saw it clearly now. It had never been true love. He had been doing it for publicity, an affair with his enemy's family. It wasn't real. She had seen that long before he did._

 _And yet…_

 _He developed a new plan: Leave the brother, teen cashier and fat handyman to deal with the bubble and storm the castle. He and his minions rolled off, hyped for the battle. But it was all for nothing._

 _Immediately upon breaking in, his minions were turned to stone and added to the throne. The dream demon then turned on him. But he was ready._

 _After the apocalypse had been stopped it was the girl and her brother's birthday party. Just another barrier for a ten-year-old and a newly fledged teenager. But he tried to let his feelings go, and put on a mask of happiness._

 _Only one of his many acts._

 _And then she left for home, and he hadn't seen her since._

* * *

Fifteen-year-old Gideon walked down the street, mulling over his memories. Since that last day of summer, she had been in the back of his mind. The image of her, laughing happily and without care in that short period of time before he messed things up.

She had inspired him to change. No more Gideon Gleeful, child of wonder, amazing psychic abilities to share with the world. No more insane plots to steal the Mystery Shack. That wasn't the Gideon she had liked.

The Gideon she had liked was the one who did makeovers with her, who sat on top of a factory roof talking about life, or just staring at the view in comfortable silence.

She had liked the real him, although not in _that_ way.

He had only liked the publicity.

Grumbling, Gideon jammed his hands in the pockets of his sky-blue tailored overcoat and turned up his collar. All that had happened five years ago. It was time he get over it.

He brushed roughly against someone, not watching where he was going. "Sorry," he muttered, continuing to walk.

"Gideon?"

His head snapped up.

That voice.

 _So long ago…_

He turned slowly, warily.

Long, dark brown hair braided down her back. Deep chocolate eyes. Skinny jeans paired with sneakers. A pink headband.

A shooting star shoulder crop sweater.

"Mabel?"

"Ohmigosh!" She laughed; a sound Gideon had missed dearly. "It _is_ you!"

"I'm…just going to hang out over here." A tall boy with a blue and white pine tree trucker hat— _Dipper?_ —quickly walked to the other side of the street, disappearing into the arcade.

Mabel walked closer, Gideon walking backwards. He was afraid that if she came any closer, she would disappear. "Wow, how are you?!"

"I'm….good. I'm good." Gideon was still in shock. He stopped himself and allowed Mabel to come nearer.

"That's great! Dipper and I came up here for summer vacation again. We're staying with Soos at the Mystery Shack—did you know he and Melody are engaged now? I found out and I was like, _yes_! But really, it's _so_ good to be back, I missed this place. It's different without Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford, but—"

Gideon gave a small smile, letting her ramble on. _She hasn't changed a bit._

"—so much!"

Startled out of his reverie, Gideon stared at her. "What?"  
"I said 'You changed so much!'" Mabel gestured to him.

"What? No, I didn't change, I'm still the same ol' me." _I_ did _change_ ; _for you_.

"Yes, you did, you look so different! You're taller than me now, you cut your hair, and you got rid of your baby fat!"

Oh, physical change. Well, that was true. He decided he needed a more modern look for his hair, so he chopped off the gigantic poof of cloud above his head and styled it into a loose close crop, allowing a few strands of hair to hang over his forehead.

As for his height and weight, he'd had a massive growth spurt upon hitting middle school. Upon realizing he was out of shape, he'd begun working out. All the baby fat and fat accumulated by ice cream had vanished.

Suddenly reaching forward, Mabel pinched his cheek. Gideon blinked, more than a little stunned.

She laughed again. "It feels so weird!"

Looking at her, grinning up at him, Gideon's eyes filled with tears. Not from pain, but from the sheer weight of memories that threatened to crush him. It was as though someone had hit a reset button. Things were back to normal between them.

And yet…

Cautiously, lest she back away, he lifted a hand and gently cupped the hand on his cheek.

Mabel didn't move, although she cocked her head to one side, like a curious puppy. Then she understood and her eyes widened.

Moving closer, she looked up at him fondly. "Memories, huh?" she said softly.

Feeling as though he couldn't breathe, Gideon just blinked in agreement. Tears splashed down onto the sidewalk.

 _Forever is a long time, indeed._

* * *

 **Okay, so, this was longer than expected. Sorry 'bout that. And if I made you cry, well, sorry not sorry, for I am heartless (not). Love 'yall!**


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